Nonchalance.

If you read a lot of fashion blogs, particularly ones that target the higher end of the market, you’ll notice that one thing many designers, bloggers, and fashion-directed folk obsess over is “looking good without trying.”

I think what one person sees as trying hard (putting on a button-down shirt for instance) is very different for another (having real button holes on the cuffs of their jacket). However, I think it is really down to dressing not how you want to see yourself, but truly understanding and–as corny as this sounds–loving yourself.

I don’t mean that in a narcissistic sense, rather, in the sense that you might not be someone cut out for the shapes, styles, and cuts of say, Christian Dior, why obsess over that look? Understanding what looks good on you, what fits you, your way of doing things, what you do on a daily basis, those are far more important factors than trying to shove yourself into an aesthetic. That is the key towards truly achieving that look.

This guy, who I have not talked about yet, is someone I think that has achieved that look. He is settled with himself, he is not posing like so many other people on fashion blogs, because, to him, while I think he might have put effort into his clothes, he does not necessarily need to be in the most daring outfit to be confident about himself.

He is from Amsterdam and I think it would be unwise for people to say that because he is European, he is far more likely to be fashionable. I think there is a big difference between simply wearing fashionable clothing and being stylish. This guy is clearly stylish.